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The “Wow” Factor

Not long ago, our Sunday school class had a progressive dinner. If you don’t know what that is, I’ll explain it!A small group of people started out at the “dinner hosts” home. We had some time to chat and get to know each other (technically we already ‘knew’ each other, but it was nice to get to talk without being interrupted by 2 and 3 years-olds constantly.), we ate dinner and ended up just sitting around the table having some great conversations!After that we all headed to the same house (at least 15 couples! and a few babies) for dessert. The spread looked fantastic!

Yeah, that’s right. Be jealous.

There was SO much. It was so good! I took a couple small pieces of dessert and couldn’t even finish it. But it was so yummy!

Wondering which dessert I made?

White Chocolate Mint Mousse Cake. Wow.

I had a really hard time decided what to make for this event. I perused my Pinterest boards. I conferred with Beth, a lot.I had so many options.But in the end, I wanted the ‘wow’ factor. And I got it.

This dessert had a delicious chocolate cake (that could easily be made gluten free, might I add) and a smooth, minty mousse middle. The combination of flavors was superb.

I know what you’re thinking. Mint and chocolate. It’s like PB&J, oreo’s and milk, pickles and ice cream (totally kidding on that last one..I hate pickles) But seriously. The cake wasn’t too sweet and was offset perfectly by the creamy middle. Mmmm, I can still taste it.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line an 11.5×17 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat almond flour, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour,cocoa powder, eggs, and egg yolk until combined, scraping the sides as needed. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until it’s shiny and forms stiff peaks.With a large rubber spatula, carefully fold the meringue into the flour and egg mixture; trying not to deflate the meringue. Add the melted butter and again, gently fold in the cake batter, trying not to deflate it. Pour into prepared pan.Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until cake springs back when you gently press the center of the cake. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. Gently flip the cake on to a cooling rack or towel to cool. Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Now, in an 8-inch spring-form pan, trim the edges of the cake and carefully line the sides of the spring-form pan with cake. (the cake does not have to come to the top of the pan it can be as short or tall you’d like it to be) Once you have the sides covered with cake, cut out a circle that will fit remaining bottom of the spring-form pan. Now, set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together water and gelatin. Let stand for 1 minute. Whisk in egg yolks and sugar. Stir in hot milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips until melted. No streaks! Let cool. When the mixture is somewhat cool, (I tested it with my finger) add the extract and food coloring. Whip the cream until if forms stiff peaks. Gently fold into the mint mixture until well blended.

Assembly:Pour the mousse into the cake lined spring-form pan as you can. Smooth the top. Put the cake in the freezer for about 2-3 hours, or until firm. Remove from freezer and remove cake from spring-form pan. Place on a cake platter or plate.

Melt 1/2-3/4 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave, in 30 second intervals. If it seizes up, add a little oil (i used coconut oil and it worked better than anything I’ve ever tried!) After it’s melted, spread chocolate, relatively thing, on a parchment paper lined jelly roll pan. Place in freezer for a few minutes. (It’s best to have a little melted chocolate left over)ZAfter it’s hardened, remove from freezer and gently break in to pieces that are about as tall as the cake. Take the pieces and spread a enough of the extra melted chocolate to attach it to the side of the cake. (Trust me, it works 🙂 )Cover all the sides of the cake with white chocolate pieces. Store in refrigerator.

Make some whipped cream, by whipping some extra heavy cream and some powdered sugar together. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the cake, or just serve on the side.